PDFs into ArtPro

[Vee]

Is anyone taking customer supplied PDFs into ArtPro?

If so, do you ever encounter any challenges here, or any data integrity issues with any fonts or objects?
Do you need Neo if you have ArtPro, as I understand it - ArtPro has full editability of PostScript & PDF?

If not, why do you choose not to Import PDFs into ArtPro?

Thank you all in advance for your input!
Vee

[Munsell]

We currently recieve all files (preferably) as pdf's and import them into ArtPro. With ArtPro, you don't edit a PDF. It imports the file, then saves it as an artpro file. Neo is a native PDF editor.

We sometimes have issues with importing the PDF's. If a customer properly imbeds fonts, there are not really any issues. Right now our biggest problem is with customer supplied files that are run through Asura. It creates a lot of strange .tifs from transparencies and gradients.

[Munsell]

We get that problem too. I thought it was just that they weren't saving it as the correct PDF version. Then I started to see the problem with PDF 1.6 etc. Every single file I get that is created through Asura is bad. Plus, it doesn't make sense in our workflow since we are a flexo label printer.

[MMC]

We get plenty O' PDF files from clients, most of which are no good for one reason or another. We will first try to drag & drop to Illustrator, if that won't work we try different settings during import depending on the problems. If transparencies are a problem we will ask for native files to create our own PDF to RIP. Generally you want to go to the RIP with a non-flattened PDF.

[jschrieber]

We get that problem too. I thought it was just that they weren't saving it as the correct PDF version. Then I started to see the problem with PDF 1.6 etc. Every single file I get that is created through Asura is bad. Plus, it doesn't make sense in our workflow since we are a flexo label printer.

Asura has a ton of options for creating PDF's .... we use Asura extensively here and have high regard for their support staff. Have you asked them to diagnose the problems you're seeing?

jack

[madmac]

Only import PDFs now nothing else.

I always try to get the Illustrator file so that I can control how the pdf is made.

I never ever use or as customer to use the option in Illustrator to include a PDF in the ai file while saving. It has to be the worst choice as you have no control over how the PDF is made.

What I do is make preset and when I save as an Adobe PDF I just select my preset. I also have one for Indesign as well.

These can also be exported and sent to customers to help control what they send in.

As for Neo my understanding is it is for a PDF workflow where you aren't changing the file from a PDF into a native file format. It is more for corrections before PDF file is ripped when there is no time to go back and edit the native file or you haven't got the native file.

So its use would be with Odystar or Post ArtPro once the file has been exported to a PDF.

[CHM]

I never ever use or as customer to use the option in Illustrator to include a PDF in the ai file while saving. It has to be the worst choice as you have no control over how the PDF is made.

.

We always use the internal pdf out off Illustrator and we never had any problems, from there we go trough Nexus or ArtPro.
The big advantage is that those pdf's are always the same, if someone exports manually you can have problems.

[whoami]

We import PDF's into Artpro and then trap in Artpro and then we convert the artpro file back to a PDF. One issue, off the top of my head, are gradients. Specifically gradients that are set to a angle besided 0 or 90. It will convert them into CT. I'm not sure if the latest Artpro still has this issue but I tried it on 8.6 and it would convert them to CT. Other than that I really like the fact that you can really clean up the file in Artpro and spit out a PDF. All the invisible stuff that are in a PDF can mess up a proof so taking it into Artpro and optimizing it cleans it up for output.

[SteveInBoston]

I believe the gradients will import as CT if you don't have BOTH "Recognize Gradations" & "Convert Shadings Into Gradation" checked. With these checked, the gradients should come in as artpro gradients with correct "positions" & values.